Power articulating headrest assembly

ABSTRACT

A vehicle headrest assembly includes a headrest member operably coupled to a seatback. The headrest member is moveable between upright and folded positions relative to the seatback. A support assembly includes first and second linkages which are pivotally coupled to the headrest member and the seatback at opposite ends thereof. First and second latch brackets are coupled to the first and second linkages respectively and operable between latched and unlatched positions for moving the headrest member to the folded position from the upright position when the latch brackets are in the unlatched position.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a vehicle headrest, and moreparticularly to a vehicle seating assembly having an articulatingheadrest assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is common for front seating assemblies in vehicles to include aheadrest assembly for supporting the head of a seated occupant.Generally, these headrest assemblies are installed separately on avehicle seat in a vehicle manufacturing facility after the vehicle seathas been installed in a vehicle interior. This is generally due to thefact that when assembled, the vehicle seat in combination with theheadrest assembly is too large to fit through the front driver's side orpassenger's side doors. Further, an assembled seat with headrest isoften too large to ship as a unitary structure on a typical trailerstorage shelf. Thus, they are typically installed separately whichincurs higher costs and a number of undesired installment executions.Further, making electrical and structural connections between thevehicle seat and the headrest assembly is an assembly execution that isbetter performed when the vehicle seat is not installed in the vehicle.Further still, known headrest assemblies may be limited to verticaladjustment relative to a seatback, such that these headrest assemblieslack adequate adjustment features for different sized occupants andvarious positions a seated occupant may assume in the vehicle seat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the present invention includes a vehicle headrest assemblyincluding a headrest member which is operably coupled to a seatbackbetween upright and folded positions. A support assembly includes firstand second linkages which are pivotally coupled to the headrest memberand seatback at opposite ends thereof. First and second latch bracketsare coupled to the first and second linkages respectively and areoperable between latched and unlatched positions. The headrest member ismoveable to the folded position from the upright position when the firstand second latch brackets are in the unlatched position.

Another aspect of the present invention includes a vehicle headrestassembly having a support assembly defined by first and second linkageswhich are pivotally coupled to a headrest member between fore and aftpositions. The headrest member is vertically adjustable. First andsecond latch brackets are coupled to the first and second linkagesrespectively and are operable between latched and unlatched positions.The headrest member is moveable to a folded position when the latchbrackets are in the unlatched positions.

Yet another aspect of the present invention includes a vehicle headrestassembly having a headrest member coupled to a headrest bracket. Aseatback includes a cross member with a first actuator member disposedthereon. A first linkage is pivotally coupled to the cross member at afirst end and pivotally coupled to the headrest bracket at a second end.The first linkage includes a support arm extending outwardly therefrom.A first latch bracket is coupled to the first actuator at a lower endand further coupled to the support arm at an upper end. A second linkageis coupled to a second latch bracket at a first end and pivotallycoupled to the headrest bracket at a second end. The second latchbracket is disposed on the cross member. The first and second linkagesdefine a support assembly which is moveable between fore and aftpositions as powered by the first actuator. The first and second latchbrackets are operable between latched and unlatched positions, whereinthe headrest member is moveable to a folded position when the first andsecond latch brackets are in the unlatched position.

These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present inventionwill be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art uponstudying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a vehicle seat having a headrestassembly installed in a vehicle interior according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the vehicle seat of FIG. 1 removedfrom the vehicle interior;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the headrest assembly and a portionof a seatback of the vehicle seat of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4A is an exploded rear perspective view of components of theheadrest assembly exploded away from structural elements in theseatback;

FIG. 4B is a rear perspective view of a headrest assembly having a trimpiece removed, wherein the headrest assembly is in a full uprightposition;

FIG. 4C is a rear perspective view of the headrest assembly of FIG. 4Bin a partially folded position;

FIG. 4D is a rear perspective view of the headrest assembly of FIG. 4Bin a fully folded position;

FIG. 5 is an exploded side elevational view of the headrest assembly ofFIG. 4B;

FIG. 6 is an exploded rear, top perspective view of a motorizedactuation assembly of the headrest assembly;

FIG. 7A is a rear perspective view of the headrest assembly of FIG. 5assembled with the headrest member in a fully down position;

FIG. 7B is a rear perspective view of the headrest assembly of FIG. 7Awith the headrest member in a full up position;

FIG. 8A is a rear perspective view of the headrest assembly of FIG. 7Awith the cover removed and the headrest member in an aft position; and

FIG. 8B is a rear perspective view of the headrest assembly of FIG. 8Awith the headrest member in a fore position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,”“left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivativesthereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in FIG. 1. However, itis to be understood that the invention may assume various alternativeorientations, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It isalso to be understood that the specific devices and processesillustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the followingspecification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive conceptsdefined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and otherphysical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed hereinare not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly stateotherwise.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the reference numeral 10 generally designates avehicle seat as positioned within a vehicle interior 14 of a vehicle 12on a driver's side thereof. The vehicle seat 10 includes a seatback 16pivotally coupled to a seat member 18. The seat member 18 is slidablycoupled to a vehicle floor 20 along a track assembly 22. The trackassembly 22 is configured to allow the vehicle seat 10 to be adjusted inforward and rearward directions along a path indicated by arrow A withinthe vehicle interior 14. It is understood that the vehicle seat 10 maybe positioned in various locations throughout the vehicle interior 14other than the illustrated position, such as a passenger's sidelocation, a mid-row location, and a rear seat location. It is alsoconceivable that the seat member 18 may not include a track assembly,like track assembly 22, and alternatively may be fixedly coupled to thevehicle floor 20.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the seatback 16 includes a lower portion 16 aand an upper portion 16 b. The upper portion 16 b of the seatback 16 iscoupled to a headrest assembly 30 by a support assembly 32. The headrestassembly 30 includes a headrest member 34, shown in FIG. 2 in a fullyupright position U above the seatback 16, which is vertically andhorizontally adjustable along paths indicated by arrows V and Hrespectively. The headrest assembly 30 is further configured to move theheadrest member 34 from the upright position U to a folded position Flong a path indicated by arrow B as further described below withreference to FIGS. 4B-4D.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the support assembly 32 of the headrestassembly 30 extends upwardly from the upper portion 16 b of the seatback16 and curves slightly forward to couple with a headrest bracket 100 ofthe headrest member 34 as further described below. As shown, the supportassembly 32 includes the trim piece 38 that substantially enclosescomponents of the support assembly 32 as further described below. Thetrim piece 38 extends from the headrest member 34 to the upper portion16 b of the seatback 16. It is conceivable that the trim piece 38 mayinclude flexible components such as vinyl or leather structures toaccommodate for relative movement of the headrest member 34 and supportassembly 32. As shown in FIG. 3, the support assembly 32 is pivotallycoupled to a cross member 40 disposed in the upper portion 16 b of theseatback 16 for structurally support the headrest assembly 30.

Referring now to FIG. 4A, the cross member 40 is shown having first andsecond ends 40 a, 40 b, with a middle portion 40 c disposedtherebetween. Support brackets 42, 44 are configured to couple to thecross member 40 at the first and second ends 40 a, 40 b, respectively.The support brackets 42, 44 include upright connecting portions 42 a, 44a which are configured to receive a pivot bar 43 which pivotallyconnects a linkage of the support assembly 32 as further describedbelow. An attachment bracket 46 includes fasteners 46 a, 46 b forcoupling to the cross member 40 at the middle portion 40 c. Theattachment bracket 46 is coupled to a first actuator 50 which includes adrive shaft 52 for driving the fore and aft positioning of the headrestmember 34 along a path as indicated by arrow H in FIG. 3. The firstactuator 50 is configured to drive the drive shaft 52 in a verticaldirection along a path as indicated by arrow C. A power connector 51 isused to connect the first actuator 50 to a power source for remoteadjustment of the headrest assembly 30. As shown in FIG. 4A, a firstlatch bracket 54 is configured to connect to the drive shaft 52 of thefirst actuator 50, for vertical movement therewith, at threadedconnector 55. The first latch bracket 54 includes a body portion 56extending upwardly from threaded connector 55, and also includes a slot58 disposed through the body portion 56. The slot 58 is a generallycurved slot, or “banana slot”, that is configured to guide movement ofthe support assembly 32 (FIG. 3) as the headrest member 34 moves fromthe upright position U to the folded position F along the path indicatedby arrow B in FIG. 3. The first latch bracket 54 further includes alatch member 60 having a body portion 62 with an engagement notch 64disposed thereon. Extending orthogonally from the body portion 62 of thelatch member 60, a handle portion 66 is disposed for engagement by auser to move the latch member 60 between latched and unlatched positionsL, UL along a path as indicated by arrow D. The latch member 60 ispivotally coupled to the body portion 56 of the first latch bracket 54at attachment location 59. The latch member 60 is further coupled to thebody portion 56 via a biasing mechanism 68 which biases the latch member60 towards the latched position L.

As further shown in FIG. 4A, a second latch bracket 70 is configured tocouple to the second end 40 b of the cross member 40. The second latchbracket 70 includes a connecting portion 72 and an orthogonally uprightextending body portion 74. In assembly, the connecting portion 72 isused to couple the second latch bracket 70 to the cross member 40 atsecond side 40 b. The body portion 74 of the second latch bracket 70includes a slot 76 disposed therethrough, which is a curved slot or“banana slot” similar to slot 58 described above in connection with thefirst latch bracket 54. A latch member 80 is pivotally coupled to thesecond latch bracket 70 and includes a body portion 82 having anengagement notch 84 and a handle portion 86. Thus, the latch member 80is a reciprocal latch member to latch member 60 described above inreference to the first latch bracket 54. The latch member 80 ispivotally coupled to the body portion 74 of the second latch bracket 70at attachment location 79. The latch member 80 is configured to beengaged by a user at the handle portion 86 for rotational movementbetween the latched position L and the unlatched position UL along thepath as indicated by arrow D for moving the headrest member 34 to thefolded position F as shown in FIG. 3. The interaction between the firstand second latch brackets 54, 70 for moving the headrest member 34 tothe folded position F is further described below with reference to FIGS.4B-4D.

Referring now to FIGS. 4B-4D, the folding movement of the headrestassembly 30 is shown. Referring specifically to FIG. 4B, the headrestassembly 30 is shown with the headrest member 34 in the upright positionU. The headrest member 34 generally includes a front portion 34 a and arear portion 34 b having a cushion material disposed therebetween asfurther described below. The support assembly 32 generally includesfirst and second linkages 90, 92 which are pivotally coupled to thecross member 40 and headrest member 34 at opposite ends thereof.Specifically, the first linkage 90 includes an upper end 90 a and alower end 90 b which are coupled to the headrest member 34 and the crossmember 40, respectively. As described in more detail below, the firstlinkage 90 is coupled to the cross member 40 at the lower end 90 b via apivot bar 43, and is further coupled to the headrest member 34 at theupper end 90 a via a pivot bar 45 that is coupled to a headrest bracket100 of the headrest member 34. Pivot bars 43, 45, respectively, definefixed pivot locations P1, P2. The first linkage 90 further includes abody portion 90 c from which a support arm 91 outwardly and downwardlyextends. The support arm 91 is latchingly engaged with first latchbracket 54 via first fastener 93 disposed through slot 58 of the firstlatch bracket 54. The first fastener 93 is retained in place by latchmember 60 at engagement notch 64 when the latch member 60 of the firstlatch bracket 54 is in the latched position L. A trim attachment mount35 is also disposed on the body portion 90 c for coupling trim piece 38(FIG. 3) to the support assembly 32.

With regard to the second linkage 92 shown in FIG. 4B, an upper end 92 aof the second linkage 92 is pivotally coupled to the headrest bracket100 at connector bracket 102, thereby defining pivot location P3. Thesecond linkage 92 is further coupled to second latch bracket 70 at alower end 92 b. The second linkage 92 is latchingly engaged with secondlatch bracket 70 via second fastener 94 disposed through slot 76 andretained in engagement notch 84 by latch member 80 while the latchmember 80 of the second latch bracket 70 is in the latched position L.As noted above and shown in FIG. 4B, the headrest assembly 30 isconfigured to allow the headrest member 34 to move from the uprightposition U to a folded position F along a path as indicated by arrow B.This folding action is made possible by moving the latch members 60, 80of the first and second latch brackets 54, 70 from the latched positionL, shown in FIG. 4B, to the unlatched position UL shown in FIG. 4C, andfurther described below.

Referring now to FIG. 4C, the headrest assembly 30 is shown with theheadrest member 34 being moved towards the folded position F along thepath indicated by arrow B. In order to move the headrest member 34towards the folded position F from the upright position U (FIG. 4B), thefirst and second latch brackets 54, 70 must be unlatched. A userunlatches the first and second latch brackets 54, 70 by engaging thehandle portion 66 of latch member 60 and handle portion 86 of latchmember 80 and moving the latch members 60, 80 towards the unlatchedposition UL along a path as indicated by arrow D. As shown in FIG. 4C,with specific reference to first latch bracket 54, the latch member 60has been moved towards the unlatched position UL, such that firstfastener 93 is no longer retained in engagement notch 64 of latch member60, and has further moved upward along a length of slot 58 of firstlatch bracket 54. Second latch bracket 70 functions in a similar mannerto release second fastener 94 for movement along slot 76. In theunlatched position UL, the first and second latch brackets 54, 70 allowfor the headrest member 34 to move towards the folded position F, asshown in FIG. 4D. It is contemplated that the headrest member 34 mayinclude a sufficient weight to gravitationally move towards the foldedposition F when the first and second latch brackets 54, 70 areunlatched. Unlatching the headrest assembly 30 causes rotation aboutpivot location P1, where, as described above, first linkage 90 couplesto cross member 40 at pivot bar 43. As further shown in FIG. 4C and withspecific reference to first latch bracket 54, the biasing mechanism 68is in the form of a spring coupled to and disposed between the firstlatch bracket 54 and the latch member 60, which will bias the latchmember 60 towards the latched position L in assembly.

Referring now to FIG. 4D, the headrest assembly 30 is shown in the fullyfolded position F relative to the cross member 40. As noted above, thecross member 40 is generally enclosed in a seatback, such as seatback 16shown above in FIG. 3. Thus, a user can unlatch the headrest assembly 30by accessing the first and second latch brackets 54, 70 from within theseatback 16. Thus, the first and second latch brackets 54, 70 are notgenerally accessible to a user in common usage, but can be accessed forfolding the headrest assembly 30 by a manufacturer for shipping,storage, or for installation in a vehicle interior, such that headrestassembly 30 does not have to be removed from the vehicle seat 10(FIG. 1) to accommodate confined door openings. As further shown in FIG.4D, and with specific reference to first latch bracket 54, the biasingmechanism 68 has pulled the latch member 60 towards the latched positionL. The latch member 60 includes a ramped portion 65 which is configuredto allow a user to move the headrest assembly 30 to the full uprightposition U by simply pushing the headrest member 34 along the pathindicated by arrow B. Latch member 80 of the second latch bracket 70 isalso configured in a similar manner, such that a user need not engageeither latch bracket when moving the headrest member 34 towards theupright position U.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the headrest member 34 includes a cushioninsert 110 that further receives a rigid backing panel 112. The cushioninsert 110 be made of a foam material, a resilient woven material, orother flexible cushion materials and combinations thereof as generallyunderstood by one having ordinary skill in the art. It is contemplatedthat the cushion insert 110 may be an integrated part, as shown, or maybe comprised of multiple parts have varying densities. The rigid backingpanel 112 is coupled to a support plate 116 by a fastener 114. Thesupport plate 116 is configured to house a track assembly 120 having apair of parallel tracks 122, 124, as best shown in FIG. 6. The pair ofparallel tracks 122, 124 slidably couple with upper and lower slidingelements 126, 128 of the track assembly 120 that are fixedly coupledwith headrest bracket 100. A second actuator 130 includes a drive shaft132 that is coupled to the headrest member 34 for vertical adjustment ofthe headrest member 34 in a direction indicated by arrow V, as furtherdescribed below with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B. The trim piece 38 isshown in FIG. 5 as having an upper housing 38 a and a lower housing 38 bwhich encase the support assembly 32 in assembly. As further shown inFIG. 5, a support member 41 is shown exploded away from cross member 40which is coupled to cross member 40 in assembly in the seatback 16 (FIG.3) for added strength and support.

Referring now to the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, four separate slidingelements 126 a, 126 b, 128 a and 128 b are included having a generallyT-shaped cross section. However, it is contemplated that more, fewer,and alternatively shaped sliding elements may be included in additionalembodiments of the track assembly 120. Furthermore, the track assembly120 may be alternatively configured with the tracks fixedly coupled withthe headrest member 34 and the sliding elements fixedly coupled with thebacking panel 112 of the cushion 110. In addition, the track assembly120 may otherwise be integrated in additional embodiments with portionsof the cushion 110, such as the backing panel 112, or portions of theheadrest member 34.

Referring now to FIG. 7A, the headrest assembly 30 is shown with theheadrest member 34 in a fully down position DN. As noted above, thesecond actuator 130 (FIG. 5) is configured to drive the headrest member34 to a full upright position UP as shown in FIG. 7B along a pathindicated by arrow V. As further shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, back casing36 conceals the track assembly 120 and second actuator 130, while thetrim piece 38 encloses the support assembly 32 in assembly. Withspecific reference to FIG. 7B, the headrest member 34 is in the fullupright position UP as driven by the second actuator 130. It iscontemplated that a covering may be used to conceal any gaps formedbetween the trim piece 38 and back casing 36 as the headrest member 34moves vertically along the path indicated by arrow V.

Referring now to FIGS. 8A and 8B, the pivotal connection between thelower end 90 b of the first linkage 90 and the cross member 40 defines afirst lateral axis at pivot location P1. Further, the pivotal connectionbetween the upper end 90 a of the first linkage 90 and the headrestbracket 100 defines a second lateral axis at pivot location P2.Similarly, the second linkage 92 has a pivotal connection to theconnector bracket 102 of the headrest bracket 100 at an upper end 92 a,which defines a third lateral axis at pivot location P3. When theheadrest assembly 30 is in the latched position L, the lower end 92 b ofthe second linkage 92 defines a fourth lateral axis P4 at the pivotalconnection of the lower end 92 b and the second latch bracket 70 atsecond fastener 94. With the 4 lateral axes P1-P4, the support assembly32 of the headrest assembly 30 comprises a four-bar linkage that pivotsat the fixed pivot points P1-P4 to move the headrest member 34 betweenfore and aft positions FR, AF along a path indicated by arrow H. Thismovement is substantially horizontal to the user, while the headrestmember 34 actually rotates forward and downward from the aft position AFto the fore position FR (as shown in FIG. 8B). Thus, the supportassembly 32 defines a four bar linkage, wherein the first linkage 90defines a primary linkage, and the second linkage 92 defines a secondarylinkage. While both coupled to the headrest bracket 100, lateral axes P2and P3 are offset from one another, wherein third lateral axis P3 isdisposed above and rearward from the second lateral axis P2. Similarly,while both essentially coupled to the cross member 40, lateral axes P1and P4 are offset from one another, wherein fourth lateral axis P4 isdisposed below and rearward from the first lateral axis P1. Thisconfiguration provides for a consistent angle α of headrest member 34 asheadrest member 34 moves between fore and aft positions FR, AF along thepath indicated by arrow H.

Demonstrating the relative movement of the headrest member 34 betweenfore and aft positions FR, AF along the path indicated by arrow H, wemust first look to FIG. 4B, wherein the headrest member 34 is in boththe full upright position U and the aft position AF. Referring now toFIG. 8A, the headrest member 34 has moved forward towards the foreposition FR to a partial forward position P that is approximatelyrotated 15° towards the fore position FR. As noted above, the headrestmember 34 is driven along path H between the fore and aft positions FR,AF by first actuator 50 which is connected to the first latch bracket 54via the drive shaft 52 at connection location 55. As shown in FIG. 8A,as compared to FIG. 4B, the drive shaft 52, as powered by the firstactuator 50, has moved upward to a height H₁, and thereby driven thefirst latch bracket 54 upwards along the path C, described above, suchthat the headrest member 34 has rotated forward to the partial forwardposition P. Thus, when the headrest member 34 is move towards the foreposition FR, the first latch bracket 54 will be vertically offsetrelative to the second latch bracket 70 as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B.

Referring now to FIG. 8B, relative to FIG. 8A, the headrest the driveshaft 52, as powered by the first actuator 50, has moved upward to aheight H₂, and thereby driven the first latch bracket 54 further upwardsalong the path C, such that the headrest member 34 has rotated furtherforward to the fully fore position FR which is approximately rotated 30°from the aft position AF. While the headrest member 34 is moved alongthe path indicated by arrow H, the angle α of the headrest member 34 isconsistent between FIGS. 4B, 8A, and 8B. Thus, as adjusted verticallyand horizontally, the angle α of the headrest member 34 is maintained bycooperation between the 4 lateral axes P1-P4 of the support assembly 32.

As noted above, the headrest assembly 30 is adjustable in many differentdirections to allow for comfort customization by the user. The headrestassembly 30 is adjustable in that the headrest member 34 can movebetween fore and aft positions FR, AF (FIGS. 8B, 4A) along the pathindicated by arrow H, and can also move between the full uprightposition UP, as shown in FIG. 7B, to the full down position DN, shown inFIG. 7A, along the path indicated by arrow V. The first and secondactuators 50, 130 drive the horizontal movement and vertical movement asdescribed above. The horizontal movement and vertical movement of theheadrest member 34 is generally controlled by the user through remoteelectrical connections known in the art. As noted above, with referenceto FIGS. 4B-4D, the headrest member 34 of the present invention can alsomove from the upright position U, as shown in FIG. 4B, to the foldedposition F, as shown in FIG. 4D, along the path indicated by arrow B.This adjustment between upright and folded positions U, F is generallyperformed by the manufacturer for storage, shipping and installation ofthe vehicle seat 10 (FIG. 1) and headrest assembly 30 in a vehicle. Asnoted above, the folding of the headrest assembly 30 allows themanufacture to store, ship and install the vehicle seat 10 in confinedspaces, without have to separate the headrest assembly 30 from thevehicle seat 10. Thus, a secure connection between the headrest assembly30 and the vehicle seat 10 can be achieved and maintained from theassembly location to the installation location.

With specific regard to the movement of the headrest member 34, it iscontemplated that relative travel along the path V between full upposition UP, as shown in FIG. 7B, to the full down position DN, as shownin FIG. 7A, may be about 55 mm in the vertical direction V. It isfurther contemplated that relative travel of the headrest member 34along the path H between the aft position AF, as shown in FIG. 4B, tothe fore position FR, as shown in FIG. 8B, may be about 80 mm in thehorizontal direction H. It is further contemplated that relative travelof the headrest member 34 along the path B between upright position U,as shown in FIG. 4B, to the folded position F, as shown in FIG. 4D, maybe about 91 mm in a generally horizontal direction, and about 95 mm in agenerally vertical direction. These travel dimensions are exemplaryonly, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present inventionin any way. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that longerand shorter lengths of travel can be incorporated into the movement ofthe headrest member 34 of the present invention without departing formthe spirit of the invention.

It will be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art thatconstruction of the described invention and other components is notlimited to any specific material. Other exemplary embodiments of theinvention disclosed herein may be formed from a wide variety ofmaterials, unless described otherwise herein.

For purposes of this disclosure, the term “coupled” (in all of itsforms, couple, coupling, coupled, etc.) generally means the joining oftwo components (electrical or mechanical) directly or indirectly to oneanother. Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature.Such joining may be achieved with the two components (electrical ormechanical) and any additional intermediate members being integrallyformed as a single unitary body with one another or with the twocomponents. Such joining may be permanent in nature or may be removableor releasable in nature unless otherwise stated.

It is also important to note that the construction and arrangement ofthe elements of the invention as shown in the exemplary embodiments isillustrative only. Although only a few embodiments of the presentinnovations have been described in detail in this disclosure, thoseskilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciatethat many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes,dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements,values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors,orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novelteachings and advantages of the subject matter recited. For example,elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple partsor elements shown as multiple parts may be integrally formed, theoperation of the interfaces may be reversed or otherwise varied, thelength or width of the structures and/or members or connector or otherelements of the system may be varied, the nature or number of adjustmentpositions provided between the elements may be varied. It should benoted that the elements and/or assemblies of the system may beconstructed from any of a wide variety of materials that providesufficient strength or durability, in any of a wide variety of colors,textures, and combinations. Accordingly, all such modifications areintended to be included within the scope of the present innovations.Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be madein the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the desired andother exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of thepresent innovations.

It will be understood that any described processes or steps withindescribed processes may be combined with other disclosed processes orsteps to form structures within the scope of the present invention. Theexemplary structures and processes disclosed herein are for illustrativepurposes and are not to be construed as limiting.

It is also to be understood that variations and modifications can bemade on the aforementioned structure without departing from the conceptsof the present invention, and further it is to be understood that suchconcepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless theseclaims by their language expressly state otherwise.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle headrest assembly comprising: aheadrest member operably coupled to a seatback between upright andfolded positions; a support assembly including first and second linkagespivotally coupled to the headrest member and the seatback at oppositeends thereof; and first and second latch brackets coupled to the firstand second linkages respectively and operable between latched andunlatched positions for moving the headrest member to the foldedposition from the upright position, wherein the first latch bracket iscoupled to a cross member and a first actuator within the seatback, andfurther wherein the first actuator drives the first latch bracketvertically to move the headrest member between fore and aft positions.2. The vehicle headrest assembly of claim 1, wherein the first andsecond latch brackets each include a body portion having a slottherethrough and a latch member pivotally coupled to the body portionbetween latched and unlatched positions.
 3. The vehicle headrestassembly of claim 2, wherein each latch member includes a ramped portionand an engagement notch.
 4. The vehicle headrest assembly of claim 3,wherein the first linkage includes a support arm extending outwardlytherefrom and coupled to the slot of the first latch bracket by a firstfastener.
 5. The vehicle headrest assembly of claim 4, wherein the firstfastener is retained in the engagement notch of the latch member of thefirst latch bracket when the latch member of the first latch bracket isin the latched position.
 6. The vehicle headrest assembly of claim 5,wherein the second linkage is coupled to the slot of the second latchbracket by a second fastener, and further wherein the second fastener isretained in the engagement notch of the latch member of the second latchbracket when the latch member of the second latch bracket is in thelatched position.
 7. The vehicle headrest assembly of claim 6, the latchmembers of the first and second latch brackets further include handleportions for engagement by a user to move the latch members to theunlatched position from the latched position when folding the headrestmember.
 8. The vehicle headrest assembly of claim 7, the latch membersof the first and second latch brackets further include biasingmechanisms biasing the latch members towards the latched position.
 9. Avehicle headrest assembly comprising: a headrest member having aheadrest bracket; a seatback having a cross member with a first actuatordisposed thereon; a first linkage pivotally coupled to the cross memberat a lower end and pivotally coupled to the headrest bracket at an upperend, the first linkage having a support arm extending outwardlytherefrom; a first latch bracket coupled to the first actuator, andfurther coupled to the support arm; a second linkage coupled to a secondlatch bracket at a lower end, and pivotally coupled to the headrestbracket at an upper end, wherein the second latch bracket is disposed onthe cross member, and further wherein the first and second linkagesdefine a support assembly moveable between fore and aft positions aspowered by the first actuator; and wherein the first and second latchbrackets are operable between latched and unlatched positions, andfurther wherein the headrest member is moveable to a folded positionwhen the first and second latch brackets are in the unlatched position.10. The vehicle headrest assembly of claim 9, including: a trackassembly operably coupled to the headrest member; and a second actuatorcoupled to the headrest bracket, wherein the headrest member isvertically adjustable as driven by the second actuator.
 11. The vehicleheadrest assembly of claim 10, wherein the first and second latchbrackets each include a body portion having a curved slot therethroughand a latch member pivotally coupled to the body portion between latchedand unlatched positions.
 12. The vehicle headrest assembly of claim 11,wherein each latch member includes a ramped portion and an engagementnotch.
 13. The vehicle headrest assembly of claim 12, wherein thesupport arm is coupled to the curved slot of the first latch bracket bya first fastener.
 14. The vehicle headrest assembly of claim 13, whereinthe first fastener is retained in the engagement notch of the latchmember of the first latch bracket when the latch member of the firstlatch bracket is in the latched position.
 15. The vehicle headrestassembly of claim 14, wherein the second linkage is coupled to thecurved slot of the second latch bracket by a second fastener, andfurther wherein the second fastener is retained in the engagement notchof the latch member of the second latch bracket when the latch member ofthe second latch bracket is in the latched position.
 16. A vehicleheadrest assembly comprising: a support assembly including first andsecond linkages pivotally coupled to a headrest member between fore andaft positions, the headrest member being vertically adjustable; firstand second latch brackets coupled to the first and second linkagesrespectively, the latch brackets being operable between latched andunlatched positions, wherein the headrest member is moveable to a foldedposition when the latch brackets are in the unlatched position; a firstactuator configured to drive the headrest member between the fore andaft positions; and a second actuator for adjusting a vertical positionof the headrest member.
 17. The vehicle headrest assembly of claim 16,wherein the first linkage includes: a lower end pivotally coupled to across member disposed within a seatback to define a first lateral axis,an upper end pivotally coupled to the headrest member to define a secondlateral axis, and wherein the second linkage includes: an upper endpivotally coupled to the headrest member to define a third lateral axis,a lower end pivotally coupled to the second latch bracket to define afourth lateral axis, wherein the each of the lateral axes cooperate tomaintain an angle of the headrest member as the support assembly movesbetween fore and aft positions.